ON MULTIQUANTUM VIBRATIONAL DEEXCITATION IN SYMMETRICAL REACTIONS

The efficiency of multiquantum vibrational deexcitation transitions in symmetric reactions has been investigated using quasiclassical trajec tory and quantum reduced dimensionality techniques. The comparison of calculations performed for the N + N-2 reaction on two different poten tial energy surfaces suggests that the formation of a fairly stable in termediate complex favours multiquantum transitions. This is definitel y confirmed by quantum and quasiclassical calculations performed for t he O + O-2 reaction whose results show that deexcitation to several vi brational levels below the initial one is the most probable reactive p rocess. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.